Tubular crutch



y 19, 1964 c. E. MURCOTT 3,133,551

' TUBULAR CRUTCH Filed Feb. 7, 1963 if" we- INVENTOR. I 0mm 5 5 lvuficorr Fr TTORNE Y United States Patent 3,133,551 TUBULAR CRUTCH Charles E. Murcott, Valley Drive, Bay Crest, Huntington; NY. Filed Feb. 7, 1963, ser. No. 256,901 3 Claims. (Cl. 135-50) The invention relates to crutch devices and, particularly, devices of this type and kind made preferably from lightweight material, such as aluminum tubing. More particularly, the invention deals with a device of the character described, having a reversely bent underarm upper portion, substantially hook-shaped in form and offset partially in one direction with respect to the shank of the crutch. Still more particularly, the invention deals with a crutch, wherein the lower end portion of the crutch is ofiset in an opposed direction with respect to the shank and includes a fixed element adjustable in said lower end and, further, wherein an angularly arranged and flattened handgrip is adjustable with respect to the central shank of the crutch.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which,

the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a crutch made according to my invention, with portions thereof broken away and with parts broken away and shown in section.

FIG. 2 is a reduced diagrammatic view of the crutch body and foot element, omitting all accessories and indicating, in dot-dash lines, the range of adjustment of the handgrip and the range of adjustment of the foot element.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1, omitting part of the background showing; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1, omitting the background showing.

In illustrating one adaptation and use of my invention and in considering the full length showing of the crutch in FIG. 2 of the drawing, it will appear that the main body portion comprises a single piece of tubing, to the lower end of which is adjustably coupled a tubular foot element 11. The main body portion comprises a central shank 12, having upper and lower offset end portions 13 and 14. These end portions, in considering use of the crutch, would be outward and inward, respectively.

The outward offset 13 terminates in an underarm generally hook-shaped member 15, comprising an upwardly, rearwardly and downwardly curved part 16 extending from 13. A reversely curved portion 17 terminates in an up wardly extending end 18, the curved portion 17 forming a recessed upper surface 19 adapted to fit under the arm of the user of the crutch.

Extending downwardly from the inwardly offset portion 14 and in alinement with the underarm member is a lower end 2i), having vertically spaced apertures, part of which is seen at 21 in FIG. 1 of the drawing, for reception of a standard-type of spring actuated button 22 mounted in the tubular foot element 11. The range of adjustment of the element 11 is between the two dot-dash lines 23 illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawing to control the overall length of the crutch. Mounted on the lower end of the element 11 is a more or less conventional rubher foot 24, shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing. Also shown in FIG. 1 is a sleeve 25 mounted on the end portion of 2%, again, as illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing. Considering FIG. 2 of the drawing, it will appear that the lower straight tubular end of the crutch body 10 is set inwardly with respect to the long straight shank 12 by the inward olfset 14. Also in this figure, it will be seen 3,133,551 Patented May 19, 1964 that the lower point or base of the recess in the long underarm member, as at 19, is set inwardly of the tubular end 20 of the crutch and is at the inner portion of said member.

The shank 12 has a'plurality of vertically spaced apertures 26, part of which is shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing, for adjustment of a handgrip member 27 on the shank within the range illustrated by the dot-dash lines 28 in FIG. 2 of the drawing. The member 27 is tubular in form and includes a fashioned end portion 29, which is crescent-shaped in form by disposing the tubing upon itself, as clearly seen in FIG. 4 of the drawing, to form a snug seat upon the tubular shank portion and two wing nut screws 30 are employed in adjustably supporting the member 27 in different positions on the shank. The other end 31 of the member 27 extends inwardly at an upward inclination, as clearly seen in FIG. 1, for positioning below the member 15 and this end 31 has its upper surface flattened, as seen at 32 in FIG. 3 of the drawing, to provide a wide surface engagement with the palm of the hand in the use of the crutch, rather than the sharp engagement which would otherwise prevail, if the end 31 were circular in cross-sectional form. Mounted on the end 31 is a more or less conventional rubber handgrip 33, which conforms to the cross-sectional contour of the end 31, as clearly seen in FIG. 3 of the drawing. The lower surface of the handgrip 33 has finger engaging recesses 34, as clearly noted in FIG. 1 of the drawing. The handgrip 33 has an enlarged and closed end portion 35 forming a finish to the exposed end of 31, as will be apparent.

In this connection, attention is also called to the fact that a cap or plug 36 seals the open end of 18 and is of suflicie-nt diameter to also overlie the end portion of a sleeve 37, of rubber or other cushioning material, mounted on 15 and extending well onto the curved portion 16, as clearly noted in FIG. 1 of the drawing.

In the use of the crutch, it will be understood that the element 11 is adjusted for the overall length of the crutch to suit the user and the member 27 is adjusted to position the hand comfortably on the handgrip, again to suit the particular user. By virtue of the offsetting of the end portions, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 2, it will appear that the lower foot element is positioned directly below the hook-shaped underarm member 15.

-At this time, it is pointed out that, where two crutches are used by an individual and the individual desires to go upstairs or downstairs, the underarm hook-shaped member 115, by virture of its length, can be utilized to support one crutch around the neck of the user, while the remaining single crutch is utilized, particuiarly where there is a handrail to assist the user to travel up and down the staircase. The length and contour of the member 15, and particularly the deep recess 19 therein, enables a user to fully support the body, while leaving the hands free to perform operations, such, for example, as a woman washing dishes, or an individual working at a bench where the upper part of the body, including the shoulders, can freely swing from left to right, without fear of displacing the members 15 from their underarm position.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A crutch comprising a one-piece tubular body, the body having a long straight central shank including out- Wardly and inwardly angularly ofiset upper and lower portions at terminal ends of said straight shank, the upper outwardly offset portion extending directly from the upper end of said straight shank and terminating in a rearwardly curved portion joining an inwardly extending reversely curved tubular underarm member, the curvature of said member forming a recess in the upper surface thereof, the

major portion of said member being of a length extending inwardly beyond said shank and said outwardly offset portion, the outwardly offset portion and its rearwardly curved portion projecting outwardly with respect to said shank, a lower straight end extending downwardly from the inwardly offset lower portion, the base of the recess of said member being located rearwardly of said lower straight end, a foot element adjustably mounted in connection with said lower straight end, a tubular handgrip adjustably supported longitudinally on said shank and ar ranged beneath said member, and a sleeve of cushioning material mounted on and extending the full length of said member.

2. A crutch as defined in claim 1, wherein said tubular handgrip includes an upwardly inclined end having a flat upper surface, and a rubber handgrip mounted on and conforming to the cross-sectional contour of the flat surface part of said tubular'handgrip.

3. A crutch as defined in claim 2, wherein said tubular handgrip has a lower end portion extending longitudinally of the shank and shaped to conform partially to the crosssectional contour of said shank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,398,247 Redcliife Apr. 9, 1946 2,439,316 Peacock Apr. 6, 1948 2,568,654 Neptune Sept. 18, 1951 2,575,681 Peters Nov. 20, 1951 2,710,053 Hamilton June 7, 1955 2,736,330 Wood Feb. 28, 1 956 2,811,978 Russell Nov. 5, 1957 3,098,651 Murcott July 23, 1963 

1. A CRUTCH COMPRISING A ONE-PIECE TUBULAR BODY, THE BODY HAVING A LONG STRAIGHT CENTRAL SHANK INCLUDING OUTWARDLY AND INWARDLY ANGULARLY OFFSET UPPER AND LOWER PORTIONS AT TERMINAL ENDS OF SAID STRAIGHT SHANK, THE UPPER OUTWARDLY OFFSET PORTION EXTENDING DIRECTLY FROM THE UPPER END OF SAID STRAIGHT SHANK AND TERMINATING IN A REARWARDLY CURVED PORTION JOINING AN INWARDLY EXTENDING REVERSELY CURVED TUBULAR UNDERARM MEMBER, THE CURVATURE OF SAID MEMBER FORMING A RECESS IN THE UPPER SURFACE THEREOF, THE MAJOR PORTION OF SAID MEMBER BEING OF A LENGTH EXTENDING INWARDLY BEYOND SAID SHANK AND SAID OUTWARDLY OFFSET PORTION, THE OUTWARDLY OFFSET PORTION AND ITS REARWARDLY CURVED PORTION PROJECTING OUTWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID SHANK, A LOWER STRAIGHT END EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE INWARDLY OFFSET LOWER PORTION, THE BASE OF THE RECESS OF SAID MEMBER BEING LOCATED REARWARDLY OF SAID LOWER STRAIGHT END, A FOOT ELEMENT ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED IN CONNECTION WITH SAID LOWER STRAIGHT END, A TUBULAR HANDGRIP ADJUSTABLY SUPPORTED LONGITUDINALLY ON SAID SHANK AND ARRANGED BENEATH SAID MEMBER, AND A SLEEVE OF CUSHIONING MATERIAL MOUNTED ON AND EXTENDING THE FULL LENGTH OF SAID MEMBER. 